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World champion and Olympian Richard Hart will make his national television analyst debut Thursday afternoon on Sportsnet.

Hart, the retired former third for Ontario skips Glenn Howard and Mike Harris, will team with Harris and Rob Faulds for coverage of the Canadian Open, the second of four Grand Slam events, in Kelowna, B.C.

Coverage begins Thursday with the first of three matches beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET — Howard versus Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton — on Sportsnet’s four regional channels. Sunday’s championship final (1 p.m. ET) will be the eighth show of the week.

Hart worked his first-ever curling broadcasts during last season’s Ontario men’s provincial championship.

“I got a lot of positive feedback from that,” said Hart. “Although it was a limited experience (two games of coverage) it gave me the confidence to know that people like what I do, and how I do it.”

After a playback test with Faulds at Sportsnet headquarters, Hart accepted an offer — and began to re-follow his sport.

“I’ve been coaching my sons (Joe and David) since I retired and that was about it for curling,” Hart said. “I’ve been paying pretty close attention this season.”

So... who will handle the telestrator? After all, as former teammates, Hart and Harris have butted strategic heads before.

“Mike and I have been great friends for years, but I think our opinions might differ on the game itself,” Hart suggested. “I’m really interested to see how it goes.

“I think it’s funny. I think most everyone enjoys Mike’s broadcasting — he’s done a great job, and I’m one of those people,” Hart continued, starting to chuckle. “But I think his shot-calling in the booth is totally different than when he’s on the ice. I think he makes the right calls on the air but doesn’t always call them for himself.”

In his competition days, Hart was well-known for igniting the player microphones with heavy banter and a quick wit. All four players would partake, while enraptured fans of televised curling cranked the volume.

“I’m certainly not taking credit for the culture or the environment that was created on Team Howard,” said Hart. “But I think I took a lot of that Team Harris humour and the way that we approached the game and brought it to Team Howard, and it kind of mutated and flourished from there.

“Then when I left, it still exists, and Wayne Middaugh sort of joins in and realizes, ‘Hey, this is a fun way to curl.’”

Hart and Harris will also work the third Slam, The National in Port Hawkesbury, N.S,. in late January, before Joan McCusker rejoins Harris for the Players’ Championship at Toronto in April.

GOULD GOES FOR GOLD

Another retired competitor is back in the curling wars, this time on the ice — and courtesy of the fans.

On Tuesday, The Sports Network announced the top vote-getters per position for The Dominion All-Star Curling Skins Game in January. Steve Gould is one of only two surprises among the 16 players selected by the fans for the TV extravaganza, which will include all the members of teams Howard, Kevin Martin, and defending champion Kevin Koe.

Gould was a popular people’s choice to compete, despite being released from Stoughton’s squad back in April.

In addition to Gould, B.J. Neufeld from Team Mike McEwen got the nod. So did Gould’s three ex-teammates on Team Stoughton.

Gould was a two-time Brier champion with Stoughton, but he harbours no ill will over his dismissal. Same for the signing of ex-Newfoundlander Mark Nichols as his replacement.

“I played 15 years with Jeff Stoughton and they’d be the first to tell you that we still communicate,” said Gould. “I wish them all the best, I really do. They’re doing all the right things now, and Mark has fit in really well.”

Gould is serving as a mentor to Ontario’s Brad Jacobs, and was en route to Kelowna on Thursday. These days he curls once a week with friends, but at skip position — and that means he’s ready to practice. A lot.

“I’ll be throwing rocks every single day in January,” said Gould. “I’ve got too much pride, I want to perform well for whoever draws me for their team.

“I’m just thrilled that I got in. When I got cut by Jeff, I was like: ‘Ah, this is one of the events I can’t take part in.’ Now I’m going, and I’ve got to thank the people.”

JOHNNY AND JOE

Veteran skip Martin is on the shelf for a month following hernia surgery this week. Third John Morris has moved up to skip and called up former Ontario teammate Joe Frans for Kelowna duty.

Morris and Frans lost the Brier final to Alberta’s Randy Ferbey back in 2002 — with current Howard teammates Brent Laing and Craig Savill at front end — so Morris didn’t have to look too far for an experienced ex-teammate.

Richard Hart debuts as curling TV analyst

World champion and Olympian Richard Hart will make his national television analyst debut Thursday afternoon on Sportsnet.

Hart, the retired former third for Ontario skips Glenn Howard and Mike Harris, will team with Harris and Rob Faulds for coverage of the Canadian Open, the second of four Grand Slam events, in Kelowna, B.C.

Coverage begins Thursday with the first of three matches beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET — Howard versus Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton — on Sportsnet’s four regional channels. Sunday’s championship final (1 p.m. ET) will be the eighth show of the week.

Hart worked his first-ever curling broadcasts during last season’s Ontario men’s provincial championship.

“I got a lot of positive feedback from that,” said Hart. “Although it was a limited experience (two games of coverage) it gave me the confidence to know that people like what I do, and how I do i